Founded 1147 by Almohad caliph Abd al-Mu'min after taking Marrakech from the Almoravids
Minaret height: 77 m (253 ft), built in Almohad style with sandstone and rubble masonry
Coordinates 31.624124°N, 7.993541°W; on the southwest edge of the medina, beside Jemaa el-Fnaa
The Koutoubia is the largest mosque in Marrakech and one of the great Almohad monuments. Founded in 1147 by caliph Abd al-Mu'min, its 77-metre sandstone minaret has dominated the medina skyline for almost nine centuries and inspired the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat.
Why visit
The Koutoubia is the symbol of Marrakech and the most important surviving monument of the Almohad caliphate. Its 77-metre minaret is the prototype for two of the most famous towers in the Islamic west — the Giralda of Seville and the Hassan Tower of Rabat.
What to expect
An exterior visit. Walk the perimeter to see the four facades of the minaret, then cross into Lalla Hasna gardens on the northwest side for the postcard view back across rose beds and palms. The ruined ground plan of the original Almoravid mosque is visible just north of the current building.
Best time
Sunset is when the sandstone glows pink and the call to prayer rolls across Jemaa el-Fnaa next door. For photography without crowds, come right after dawn — the gardens open early and the light is softer.
Practical tips
Dress modestly even though you cannot enter — knees and shoulders covered out of respect. Don't approach the prayer-hall doors at prayer times. The minaret is the easiest medina landmark to use as a navigational anchor: visible from most rooftops and main thoroughfares.
No. The Koutoubia is an active mosque and entry to the prayer hall is restricted to Muslims. Visitors of all faiths are welcome to walk around the exterior and the surrounding Lalla Hasna gardens, which give the best photographic views of the minaret.
The name comes from the Arabic 'kutubiyyin', meaning 'the booksellers'. The mosque was once surrounded by a souk of manuscript dealers and the trade gave the building its enduring name.
The minaret stands 77 metres (253 ft) tall. By city ordinance, no nearby building may rise higher than a palm tree, so the Koutoubia remains visible from almost every point in the medina.
Almohad architecture, the dynastic style of 12th-century Morocco and al-Andalus. The minaret combines sandstone and rubble masonry with carved stucco and tile bands, and is the prototype for the Giralda in Seville and the Hassan Tower in Rabat.